Roof covering and roofing member



NOV. 2, 1937. BROWN ROOF COVERING AND ROOFING MEMBER Filed July 15, 1929 Patented Nov. 2, 1937 STTES ROOF COVERING AND- ROOFING MEMBER Harold D'. Brown, Los Angeles, Calif. Application July 15, 1929, Serial No. 378,304

21 Claims.

My invention relates to roof coverings and shingles and in particular to composition roofing strips or members which may be laid to form a roof covering with interposed areas.

It is an object of my invention to provide a roofing member adapted. to be laid on a surface to be covered and which when laid will provide major areas and interposed minor areas which will provide a covering having a pleasing and attractive appearance.

It is a further object of my invention to provide roofing member having a tab and an adjacent notch and having a sub-notch in the tab and a sub-tab in the notch. This roofing member is of such a design that when laid the major areas are provided and the sub-tabs and subnotches cooperate to expose small areas or minor areas between the major areas.

It is another object of my invention to provide a roof covering which when laid forms rows of major areas, and. which is so formed that small areas are exposed between the major areas in order to give a pleasing and attractive appearance.

Roofs are often constructed from a plurality of roofing strips or shingles having surface coatings of one or more colors, the roofing strips being laid so that alternate portions of the colored surface coatings are exposed to form rows of alternate colors across the roof. Roofs formed in this way are rather monotonous to the eye, as the rows of solid color do not afford. sufficient variety to provide a pleasing effect.

It is an object of my invention to provide a roof covering having rows of alternate colors across the roof, the rows of one color having interposed areas of another color.

It is another object of my invention to provide a roofing strip which may be'laid to provide a roof covering of the above class.

It is also an object of my invention to provide a method of laying the roofing strips of my in vention to form a roof covering of the above class.

A further object of the invention is to provide a roofing strip by which my new effect may be accomplished without the loss of roofing material in the cutting of the strips.

Further objects of my invention will be mad apparent in the ensuing description in which I will explain several forms of my invention.

Referring to the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view showing a roof covering of my invention.

a 2 s a plan view showing the oofing strip will be formed consisting of transverse rows 1 AAof dark areas l'i alternating with transverse rows BB of light areas or spots i8; but with each dark spot I! separated from its adjacent dark spot by a small light spot I9, and in a similar manner eachlight spot 68 being separated from its adjacent light spot by a small dark spot 20. It is to be understood that the alternating spots or areas II and 88 may be of any desired.

colors to suit the general color scheme with which the building is decorated. In this specification,

the terms light spots and .fdark spots are employed to'designate a difference in colors or shades of the alternating rows of areas formed in the pattern of a. roof covering by the practice of my invention.

From Fig. 1 it'will beperceived that the monotony of having continuous vertical'rows of the same color is avoided by interposing in the transverse rows oflarger figures or areas H and l8 small figures or areas 19 and 2i! which will serve to divide and set off an area or a spot from an adjacent spot of the same color.

If desired, the roofing strips laid as shown in Fig. 1 may be of the same color. In this event the serrated edges and shadows produced thereby will form the major areas and interposed minor areas and will produce a very attractive covering.

In Fig. 2 I show the manner in which the roofing strips II to IE of Fig. 1 are made from a continuous strip of sheet material 2! having parallel edges 22.

. Centrally down the strip 2| a cut 23 is made so as to divide the strip 2! into two'roofing strips 24 and 25, eachhaving a straight edge 22 and a 24 and 25 complementary I am enabled to cut out roofing strips without waste of any of the sheet material. In the following description of the Characteristics of a roofing strip I shall apply the designating numerals to the strip 24, it being understood that the strip 25 has a similar form, owing to its being complementary to the strip 24.

The line of separation indicated at 23 is so directed that the lower edge of the strip 24 is provided with a series of tabs or projections 26 alternated with a series of notches or indentations 21. At the bottom, or what shall be hereinafter termed the peak of each notch 21 a projecting portion of sheet material forms What I shall hereinafter term a sub-tab 28, and at the point or peak of each tab 26 an indentation is formed which shall be hereinafter termed a sub-notch 29.

It will be perceived that the cutting of a tab 26 and a sub-notch 29 on the strip 24 at the same time cuts a complementary notch and a complementary sub-tab on the strip 25, or in other words, the directing of the line of cut in a manner to form a tab in a piece: 24 results in the forming of a notch in the complementary piece 25. The strips II to l5 are made identical to the strips 24 and 25, but in the use of such strips a relatively dark surface color is employed on the strips I2 and I4, and a relatively light surface color is employed on the strips I0, II, I3, and I5,in order that a pattern of alternating light and dark spots will be formed.

An object of the invention is to cut roofing strips such as those indicated at 24 and 25 in Fig. 2 into lengths which will enable them to be readily handled, and to so form the ends of the lengths that they may be placed on a roof in consecutive order without the joints between the abutting ends showing. The strips 24 and 25 are separated at suitable intervals by cuts 52, each consisting of two parts 53 and 54. The portions 53 of the cuts 52 extend diagonally from points situated at a side of the peak of a notch 21 in diagonal direction to meet the portion 54 which extends perpendicularly with respect to an edge 22. The shingle or roofing member of my invention in cludes an exposed portion comprising the tabs and notches and sub-tabs and sub-notches and a covered portion comprising the remaining part of the member and being that part which is covered by an overlying roofing member. The covered part has end edges formed by the cuts 52 and 53 and a rear edge as indicated at 22 in Fig. 2. The end edge adjacent the end of the shingle which provides the notch is receded sidewardly, that is, is cut inwardly or offset to the left as shown in Fig. 2. The end edge adjacent the projection at the other end of the roofing member is projected sidewardly or extends outwardly to the left as shown in Fig. 2. In other words, the covered portion of the roofing member is offset to the left with respect to the exposed portion of the roofing member. When the roofing strips or shingles are placed in their proper arrangement, as indicated in Fig. 1, the joints between the separate strips will be entirely concealed so that an unbroken and continuous efiect will be presented.

The strips are to be laid in a manner such as the following:

A starting strip IQ of sheet roofing material of dark color is first placed adjacent to the roof to be covered. A light strip II is then placed over the strip ID in such a manner that the strip I0 is partly covered thereby, but with dark portions 32 of the strip showing between the tabs 26 of the strip I I. A strip I2, of dark color, is then placed over the upper portion of the strip II with the tabs 26 thereof aligned with the notches 21 of the strip II and with the peaks 33 of the tabs 25 l'ying close to or meeting with the extreme bottoms or peaks 34 of the notches 21. When the strip I2 is placed in this manner, the strip II is covered with the exception of the light spots i8 which appear between the tabs 26 of the strip I2 and the secondary light spots I9 which are formed at the lower ends or peaks of the tabs 26 of the dark strip l2 as the result of the sub-notches 29 in the tabs 26 leaving uncovered diamond-shaped areas adjacent the sub-tabs 28 formed at the upper ends or peaks of the notches 21 in the light strip I I. The alternating light and dark strips I3, I 4, and I5 are then placed in such a manner that the peaks 33 of the tabs of each succeeding strip will coincide with the peaks 34 of the notches in a preceding strip. When the strips are placed in this manner, transverse rows of areas are disclosed in alternate dark and light shades, such as the spots I! and I8, which in the practice of the invention shown in Fig. 1 are of hexagonal shape.

By forming a sub-tab at the bottom or peak of each notch'in the strip and a sub-notch in the end or peak of each tab of the roofing strip, small or secondary areas or spots l9 and 2B are formed along the lines AA and BB between the respective major areas I! and I8. By reference to Fig. 1 it will be perceived that each tab 26 of a strip of roofing material forms the lower half of a spot I! or l8 and that the upper half of each spot is formed of an area of the strip of roofing material left uncovered by a notch of a succeeding strip. Therefore, it is by cooperation of the tabs and notches when the strips are placed in overlapping relationship that areas of desired form and size are created.

As pointed out heretofore, the rows of roofing strips or shingles may be of the same color, and in this event the interposed areas may be of the same color'as the major areas, but the outlines of the interposed diamonds will be quite prominent due to the edges and also due to the shadows which are formed adjacent these edges.

In Figs. 1 and 2 I have shown roofing strips of such contour that major spots I1 and I8 of approximately hexagonal shape and interposed dividing spots !9 and 20 of diamond shape are formed in the design of a roof covering resulting from the laying of a succession of roofing strips having alternating tabs and notches with sub-notches and sub-tabs formed respectively at the peaks thereof in the manner described.

It should further be apparent that my invention may be embodied in individual shingles rather than roofing strips and may comprise but a single tab, a single notch, and a single sub-tab and a single sub-notch. From a manufacturing standpoint and from a standpoint of laying the shingles, it is, however, much more practical in the form of a roofing strip as illustrated herein.

In Figs. 3 to 5 inclusive I show other complementary contour which may be adopted in the cutting of roofing strips for'the practice of the present invention.

In Fig. 3 I show a strip 40 having tabs 4| with castellated or stepped sub-notches 42 indenting the peaks thereof, these sub-notches 42 being complementary to sub-tabs 43 projecting in the peaks of notches 44. When strips 40 of the character shown in Fig. 3 are placed in the manner described relative toFig. 1, the tabs 4| will cooperate with notches 44 to form transverse rows of major areas in the roofing design and the sub-tabs 43 will cooperate with the sub-notches 42 in forming interposed areas for separating adjacent major areas or spots in the alternating rows thereof. The strip shown in Fig. 4 has a combination of straight edges 45 and circular edges 4'! which cooperate to form complementary tabs and notches, each having their respective sub-notches and sub-tabs. The strip shown at '48 in Fig. 5 is similar to that shown in Fig. 2 with the exception that in Fig. v5 the peaks of the tabs and the notches .51 .are of rounded effect so that thesharp'corners of the strip .24 in Fig. 2 are eliminated. It is recognized that many other complementary contours may beadevised in which the principle of alternating tabs and grooves with respective sub-grooves and subtabs will be represented, so that by laying the strips in alternate colors or shades rows having major areas and intervening secondary areas or spots will be formed in a pattern.

It should be understood that by employing the term roofing member in the specification and claims I do not wish my invention to be limited to a member which is placed-on the roof of any construction. My invention may be applied to any surface desired to be covered, such asa roof or any other horizontal or inclined surface, and a Wall or any other substantially vertical surface. The term roofing member and the term roofing are used in a. general sense and are not intended to be a limitation on the scope of the claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A roofing strip of the character described ha'ving alternated tabs and notches formed along an edge thereof and sub-notches and sub tabs formed in the respective peaks of said tabs and notches.

.2. A roofing strip of the character described having alternated tabs'and notches formed along an edge thereof, and sub-tabs formed in the peaks of said notches to form geometric figures adjacent the edge of an overlying strip.

3. A roofing strip of the character described having alternated complementary tabs and notches formed along an edge thereof and complementary sub-notches and sub-tabs formed in the respective peaks of said tabs and notches.

4;, A roof covering consisting of a plurality of strips, each strip having alternate tabs and notches with sub-notches and sub-tabs formed in the respective peaks thereof, said strips being laid in overlapping relationship with the peaks of the tabs of a strip lying adjacent to the peaks of the notches of a preceding strip.

5. A roof covering consisting of a plurality of diiferently colored, alternately placed strips, each strip having alternate tabs and notches with sub-notches and sub-tabs formed in the respective peaks thereof, said strips being laid in overlapping relationship with the peaks of the tabs of a strip lying adjacent to the peaks of the notches of a preceding strip, there being differently colored areas exposed below each of said strips formed by the cooperation of said sub-tabs with said sub-notches.

6. A roof covering consisting of strips of roofing material of light and dark color alternately placed, each strip having alternate tabs andnotches with sub-notches and sub-tabs formed in the respective peaks thereof, said strip-s being laid in overlapping relationship with the peaks of the tabs of a strip lying adjacent to the peaks of the notches of a preceding strip for exposing an area of an underlying strip, whereby to form transverse rows of light and dark areas, each row of one color having the areas thereof separated by interposed areas of the other color.

7. :In' a roof covering, the combination of: a

primary series of roofing strips having a surface I coating of a given color; a secondary'series of roofing strips having a surface coating of another color; and alternate projections and indentations forming serrations along exposed edges of said strips, said strips being laid so that said indentations on one strip; uncover portions of another strip to form rows of alternate colors across said roof, a row of one color having interposed areas of the other color'exposed below a preceding row of another color.

8'. As an article of manufacture, a roofing strip comprising: a body portion; alternate primary projections and indentations of relatively large size along a longitudinal edge of said body portion; secondary indentations of relatively small size in said primary projections; andsecondary projections of relatively the same size in said pri mary indentations.

9. A roofing strip as defined in claim 6 in which said primary projections extend trans versely an equal distance from a longitudinal axis of said body portion, and in which said in-' dentations extend into said body portion an equal distance from said longitudinal axis.

10. A roofing strip as defined in claim 8 in which said secondary projections and indentations are of substantially the same shape.

11. A roofing strip of the character described having alternated tabs and notches of the same width formed along an edge thereof, and subnotches formed in the peaks of said tabs for .exposing an area of an underlying-strip.

12. A roof covering consisting of strips arranged in rows and each having alternate tabs and notches, and sub-notches formed in said tabs, said rows being laid so that the ends of the tabs of one row coincide with the bottoms of the ing interposed areas of the lower row;

13. A roof covering consisting of strips are ranged in rows and'each row having alternate tabs and notches, and sub-tabs formed at the bottoms of said notches, said rows being laid so that the ends of the tabs of one row coincide with the bottoms of the notches of a lower row, said subtabs forming interposed areas'below the ends of said tabs of the upper row.

14. A roof covering consisting 'of strips arranged in rows and each row having alternate tabs'and notches, and sub-notches'forrned in the ends of said tabs and sub-tabs formed in the bottom of said notches, said rows being laid so that the ends of said tabs of one row coincide with the bottoms of the notches of a lower row, said sub-tabs and sub-notches cooperating to provide interposed areas.

15. A shingle comprising a sheet bounded along one side by an edge having a plurality of com plementary primary tabs and recesses, a secondary recess formed at the end of each primary tab, and a secondary tab formed at the end of of each primary tab and a secondary tab formed at the end of each primary recess, the secondary tabs and recesses being complementary.

17. In a roof comprising a plurality of shingles each bounded along one side by an edge having a plurality of complementary primary tabs and recesses with a secondary recess formed at theend of each tab and a secondary tab formed at the end of each recess, said secondary tabs and recesses being complementary, a series of overlapping courses of said shingles laid with the ends of the primary tabs in registration with the ends of the primary recesses so that the tabs and recesses in one course are oppositely disposed from the complementary recesses and tabs respectively in an adjacent course.

18. In a roof comprising a plurality of shingles each bounded along one side by an edge having a plurality of complementary primary tabs and recesses with a secondary recess formed 'at the end of each tab and a secondary tab formed at the end of each recess, said secondary tabs and recesses being complementary and smaller than the primary tabs and recesses, a series of overlying courses of said shingles laid with the ends of the primary tabs in registration with the ends of the primary recesses so that the tabs and recesses in one course are oppositely disposed from the complementary recesses and tabs respectively in an adjacent course to provide a roof present- 'ing a plurality of major areas about each of which is uniformly disposed a plurality of minor areas. Y

19. A roofing member of the character described having a tab and a notch adjacent there to 'formed along an edge thereof, and a sub-tab formed inthe peak of said notch and a sub-notch formed in the peak of said tab.

20. A roof covering consisting of rows of shingle members, each row having alternate tabs and notches, and sub-notches formed insaid tabs, said rows being laid so that the ends of the tabs of one row coincide with the bottoms of the notches of a lower row, said sub-notches exposing interposed areas of the lower row.

21. A roof covering consisting of rows of shingle members, each row having alternate tabs and notches, and sub-tabs formed at the bottoms of said notches, said rows being laid so that the ends of the tabs of one row coincide with the bottoms of the notches of a lower row, said sub-tabs forming interposed areas below the ends of said tabs of the upper row.

' HAROLD D. BROWN. 

